Pieces of Me

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. ODD children may present as negative, defiant, unable to take “no” for an answer, deliberately annoying others, easily annoyed themselves, or blaming others for all that goes wrong.The child’s behavior often disrupts the child’s normal daily activities, including activities within the family and at school.